Aircraft hoist systems comprising a hook and cable assembly coupled to a cable winding and unwinding apparatus are used in critical applications including rescue missions by armed forces, police, firefighters, medical evacuation crews and other municipal personnel. Given the use of aircraft hoist systems in such applications, it is necessary to inspect and maintain the hoist system on a regular basis. Current inspection methods include visual inspection of the cable for various defects such as strand fraying, pitting and crushing as well as strands and wires breakage. In some cases, various support apparatus are used for the assessment of cable condition. Optical and/or magnetic diagnostic apparatus have been developed for the evaluation of cable strand condition.
Inspection of the cable can be labor intensive as the cable must be unwound and properly reeled after inspection. It is often necessary to pretension the cable during the reeling process to avoid the occurrence of irregular wraps.
While useful for generally determining cable condition, current inspection methods do not provide direct information regarding specific operating events experienced by aircraft hoist systems, including cable loadings, cable shocks and exposure to over limit conditions. Such information is useful to the maintenance and care of aircraft hoist systems, potentially increasing system lifetime and safety.